Air pollution, waste management continue to be areas of concern: report

Air pollution and waste management continue to be areas of concern and in 2016, over 68 per cent of air quality monitoring sites exceeded the annual ambient concentration level of PM2.5, according to a report by TERI.

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) today launched its yearly data directory TERI Energy Data Directory and Yearbook (TEDDY) 2018 in the national capital.

The yearbook said air pollution and waste management are still areas of concern.

Data from 2015 shows that almost all states experienced high concentrations of PM10, exceeding CPCB standards. In 2016 too, 68.4 per cent of air quality monitoring sites exceeded the annual ambient concentration level of PM2.5, which is even more minute and harmful than PM10, the yearbook said.

It also said that door to door collection of solid waste is quite low in some states.

With regards to solid waste management, the per capita waste generation in the country ranges from 200-600 grams per day. Of this, door to door collection of solid waste is as low as 48.9 per cent in some states. In all, around 75 to 80 per cent of municipal waste is collected, of which only 22 to 28 per cent is treated, it said.

Nearly 24 GW of renewable energy capacity was installed between 2012 and 2016. Of this, 15.3 GW (63 per cent) was added in the last two years, it said.

Most importantly, in 2016-17, the growth in electricity generated from renewable energy was 24.26 per cent, much higher than the 5.34 per cent growth rate in electricity generated from thermal power. Further, India's solar power capacity as on August 31, 2017 rose 81 per cent over the 6.7 GW capacity in 2016, the yearbook said.